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President’s State of the Union address promises defiance, hope and a lot of tweets

LatinaLista — Depending on which side of the proverbial political fence you are sitting on, tonight’s State of the Union address will either leave you disgusted or encouraged — or it just may bore you that you surf over to the latest episode of your favorite reality show. Yet, when it comes to getting real, there’s probably no better reality show in the country than what happens on Capitol Hill.

President Obama speaks with lead speechwriter Jon Favreau in the Oval Office. (Pete Souza / White House / January 23, 2012)

There’s no doubt that the President is going to come out swinging tonight. Pretty sure he’s seen some of the recent GOP debates and is getting fired up from all the blame being thrown his way. One indication that he may be a little combative tonight are gleaned from a few excerpts of his speech released by the White House.

Tonight, we’ll all be hearing:

“….The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive. No challenge is more urgent. No debate is more important. We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by. Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules. What’s at stake are not Democratic values or Republican values, but American values. We have to reclaim them.”

“As long as I’m President, I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum. But I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place.

No, we will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt, and phony financial profits. Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last – an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.”

“Let’s never forget: Millions of Americans who work hard and play by the rules every day deserve a government and a financial system that do the same. It’s time to apply the same rules from top to bottom: No bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts. An America built to last insists on responsibility from everybody.”

And just a little while ago, the following appeared in my inbox:

I’m heading to Capitol Hill soon to deliver my third State of the Union address.

Before I go, I want to say thanks for everything you’re doing.

Tonight, we set the tone for the year ahead. I’m going to lay out in concrete terms the path we need to take as a country if we want an economy that works for everyone and rewards hard work and responsibility.

I’m glad to know you’ll be standing with me up there.

Barack

Actually, I’ll be tweeting while he’s talking.

Join the conversation by following me on Facebook or Twitter @latinalista. There may not be high drama and it may even be scripted but somebody always does something to surprise — That’s reality TV!

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